PHOENIX –– There isn’t much intrigue when it comes towhowill be in theDodgers lineupwhen the season starts next month.

But this spring, manager Dave Roberts does have a key decision to make abouthowhe will order his superstar hitters.

This week, Roberts began tipping his hand, fielding a strong lineup Tuesday that included a notable wrinkle: Star offseason signing Kyle Tucker was in the two-hole, andstar first baseman Freddie Freemanwas in the clean-up spot.

Things could changebetween now and opening day, Roberts said, but “as we stand here today, I like that going forward.”

How Tucker and Freeman would be deployed in the batting order has been a question ever since Tuckersigned his $240 million dealto join the Dodgers this winter. Last year, the top of the Dodgers’ lineup rarely changed: Shohei Ohtani led off, Mookie Betts batted behind him, and Freeman typically hit third (although, sometimes was fourth with Will Smith batting third, when a left-handed pitcher was on the mound).

Tucker’s arrival has changed that calculus.

The Dodgers will still use Ohtani as the leadoff hitter this year. But Tucker’s ability to get on base and hit both left- and right-handed pitching has given the team a new weapon. Usually, the Dodgers have tried to stagger the left- and right-handed hitters in their lineup, to prevent teams from gaining a matchup advantage when they deploy relievers. But with Tucker, the danger of having two lefties –– himself and Ohtani –– topping the order is dissipated.

Thus, expect to see a top five of Ohtani-Tucker-Betts-Freeman-Smith as the Dodgers pursue a third-straight World Series title.

“I just feel with Kyle in the 2, lefty-righty matchups don’t bother him,” Roberts said. “He’s an on-base machine, and that starts to bleed into guys in the 3-4-5 that I feel really good about being run producers and hitting with guys on base. So yeah, I sort of like that now.”

The moves are reflective of how the Dodgers are evaluating their biggest stars entering 2026.

Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos